Sorrow's Knot

Hardcover | October 1, 2013

From the acclaimed author of Plain Kate, a new novel about what lurks in the shadows, and how to put it to rest . . .

In the world of Sorrow's Knot, the dead do not rest easy. Every patch of shadow might be home to something hungry, something deadly. Most of the people of this world live on the sunlit, treeless prairies. But a few carve out an uneasy living in the forest towns, keeping the dead at bay with wards made from magically knotted cords. The women who tie these knots are called binders. And Otter's mother, Willow, is one of the greatest binders her people have ever known.

But Willow does not wish for her daughter to lead the lonely, heavy life of a binder, so she chooses another as her apprentice. Otter is devastated by this choice, and what's more, it leaves her untrained when the village falls under attack. In a moment of desperation, Otter casts her first ward, and the results are disastrous. But now Otter may be her people's only hope against the shadows that threaten them. Will the challenge be too great for her? Or will she find a way to put the dead to rest once and for all?

From the acclaimed author of Plain Kate, a new novel about what lurks in the shadows, and how to put it to rest . . .In the world of Sorrow's Knot, the dead do not rest easy. Every patch of shadow might be home to something hungry, something deadly. Most of the people of this world live on the sunlit, treeless prairies. But a few carve...

ERIN BOW studied particle physics in college, eventually working at the CERN laboratory near Geneva, Switzerland. She then decided to leave science in order to concentrate on her love of writing. Her first novel, Plain Kate, was named to the YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults list, and was the recipient of the 2011 TD Canadian Childre...

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Read from the Book

From Sorrow's Knot:Something was resting in the nest of shadows under the cornstalk, something stirring as Cricket's hand came near. Something gawk-stretched and ugly as a new-hatched bird with no feathers and skin over its eyes. Something that moved subtly, like the earth moving above something buried. Something struggling and starving.Cricket reached backward, fumbling toward the shadow-cage, and the dark thing opened its dark mouth like a baby bird, like a snake. It opened so wide that if it had had a jaw, its jaw would have broken. Suddenly it was all mouth, and it was reaching-There was one heartbeat in which Otter couldn't move. She was still hiccupping, though her heart had nearly stopped with horror. Kestrel shouted: "Cricket!"Cricket grinned up at Kestrel, groping unknowing toward the shadow - and Otter dove to save him. Anyone in the pinch would have counted her as a child. But it never occurred to her that most people would have dived the other way."Ware!" shouted Kestrel.Cricket's smile froze, his head whipped toward the warning. He was halfway to his feet by the time Otter hit him. She'd meant to knock him sideways, but because he was twisting she hit him wrong. He fell full backward, into the corn.Onto the dead thing.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Sorrow's Knot:* "Bow's prose is powerful, insidious, and heart-squeezing. This book is brutal, beautiful, and not to be missed." -Quill & Quire, starred review* "A lovely gem, dark and quiet as the dead but glimmering with life as well. Not to be missed." -Kirkus, starred review* "Bow displays the patient, rhythmic pace of a seasoned storyteller, and the spare elegance of her prose manages to inspire both chills and tears as the tale requires . . . Dark but ultimately hopeful, this quiet fantasy will leave its mark on readers and have them contemplating shadows in a whole new way." -Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"This is an atmospheric, haunting tale of friendship, love, and loss, told in a unique voice." -Booklist"This dark fantasy has an old-fashioned feel: there's a strong-willed protagonist with little knowledge of how to channel her power, and readers will enjoy watching her discover that 'the world was larger than we knew.'" -Publishers Weekly"A starkly beautiful epic that blends poetry, myth, and horror in a challenging but rewarding novel." -National Reading Campaign